Choctaw resistance to removal from ancient homeland (Part
II)

Iti Fabvssa

BISKINIK| July
2014

Last month began a four-part Iti Fabvssa series
examining ways the Choctaw people resisted Removal and the Trail of
Tears. In this month's Iti Fabvssa the focus is on Choctaw
resistance to the Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty, an agreement ceding
the last part of the Choctaw homeland to the United States
government, and for many families, set the stage for the Trail of
Tears and Removal to Indian Territory.

Between 1801 and 1825, the Choctaw Nation ceded
34,000 square miles of land to the United States through a series
of seven treaties. Despite the solemn assurance given by treaty
negotiator Andrew Jackson in 1820 that the United States would
never again seek Choctaw lands, just ten years later a commission
formed by Andrew Jackson himself (by then president of the United
States) entered Choctaw Nation. The purpose of this commission was
to negotiate not just a land cession treaty, but a treaty that
would transfer all of the remaining 17,000 square miles of the
Choctaw homeland in Mississippi to the United States and set up
Choctaw Removal to the west. The Choctaw people resisted this
treaty and, by extension, Removal itself, in the form of three
overwhelming "no" votes, hundreds of walk-outs, and a butcher
knife.

The United States commissioners Major John H. Eaton
and Colonel John Coﬀee arranged to meet with Choctaw leaders and
several thousand Choctaw citizens at a place in the Choctaw
homeland called Chukﬁ ahihla bok "Dancing Rabbit Creek" in
mid-September 1830 to discuss the treaty. On September 22, after
some days of preparations and talks, the assembled Choctaw council
requested that the Commission formally present the terms of the
proposed treaty to an assembled body of Choctaw leaders and
citizens. After the articles of the treaty were read and translated
to the Choctaw assembly, the United States Commissioners
immediately asked a Choctaw man named Killihota to speak to those
present. Killihota stood up from the Choctaw council, gave an
obviously exaggerated account of the lands to the west, and spoke
in favor of Removing to Indian Territory. When he ﬁnished, an elder
Choctaw woman sitting at the center of the Choctaw council stood up
with a butcher knife, and told Killihota that if she were to cut
his chest open with that knife, she would expose two hearts. By
this, of course, she was accusing him of having divided loyalties.
Choctaw opposition to the proposed treaty was overwhelming. When a
vote was taken at the end of the day, Killihota was the only
Choctaw in the 60-plus member council that was in favor of the
treaty.

The following day, a Choctaw committee formally
told the Commissioners that there would be no negotiations on
Removal. One of the Commissioners, Major Eaton, then arose and in
no uncertain terms, told the Choctaw representatives that if they
refused, the state of Mississippi would seize their lands, that the
United States military outnumbering the Choctaw by 100 or 1,000 to
1 would move in and destroy any resistance, that all remaining
Choctaw land would be taken by force, and that the Choctaw who
survived would be moved to the west.

After this speech, the second U.S. Commissioner,
Colonel Coffee, sickened by the threats, indicated that he would
have no part in such negotiations. Many Choctaws had a similar
view, and left the council grounds over the next several days. In
their minds, leaving the council grounds was a strong statement
declining the treaty. There would be no agreement.

When treaty negotiations failed and Choctaws
quickly left the council grounds, the U.S. commissioners became
desperate. On September 24, they approached Choctaw Chief Greenwood
LeFlore to help them ﬁnd a way to get the treaty approved. LeFlore
agreed, on the condition that several alterations be made to the
treaty, including adding a provision Choctaw people, who so
desired, be given land allotments in Mississippi and become joint
citizens of the Choctaw Nation and the United States (Article
14).

The following day, the new treaty document was read
and translated to the Choctaw people who remained at the council
ground. As the stipulations were being read, the Choctaw group
talked loudly among themselves, indicating they had no intention of
signing it. Later that day, the Commissioners attempted to
negotiate the Treaty with only Greenwood LeFlore's district. Even
within LeFlore's own district, where the pro-Removal Chief had a
great deal of inﬂuence, the treaty was voted down by a two-thirds
majority. Those who voted against it then went home, believing that
negotiations were concluded.

On September 27, the Commissioners again met with
the Choctaw representatives who remained on the Council grounds.
The Choctaw leaders announced to the Commission that it was their
unanimous decision to reject the proposed treaty.

Thereafter, Major Eaton again addressed the
remaining Choctaws, telling them that if the treaty was rejected,
the United States would cease to have any relations with the
Choctaw government. Lands obtained by the Choctaw Nation through
previous treaties would be given away to other Tribes, Choctaws
would be forced into conscripted labor and military service, forced
to pay taxes to the state, that their children would be destitute,
and that the Choctaw people would be utterly destroyed.

After this speech, out of fear, coercion, and false
hope that Article 14 of the treaty would be honored, and without
the ﬁnal draft of the treaty even having been read to them, or
translated, the Choctaw leaders still present signed the Treaty of
Dancing Rabbit Creek, against the unanimous wishes of the Choctaw
people. Violence and turmoil erupted at the council grounds.